Decorative upholstery fabric



y 5, 1942- G. R. CUNNINGTON 2,282,168

DECORATIVE UPHOLSTERY FABRIC Fi led Oct. 9, 1937 jiz dew/v K624772227? my Patented May 5, 1942 FFICE DECORATIVE UPHOLSTERY FABRIC George B. Cunnington, 'Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., minor to National Automotive Fibres,

Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application October 9, 1937, ScrialNo. 168,286

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a decorative upholstery fabric adapted for use on the interior of motor vehicles or the like, and to an improved method of manufacturing the same.

Heretofore, decorative upstanding ridge designs have been provided on the outer face of the fabric by mounting the fabric. on a heavy backing board of thermoplastic material and embossing a design in both the panel and cover fabric. This method frequently injured the expensive cover fabric and it was difllcult to obtain a satisfactory bond between the backing board and fabric. Occasionally the asphaltum base used in the backing board would migrate through the cover fabric and discolor the same. Another diificulty was in that it was impossible to produce an embossing of narrow width as the material could not be bent sharply without rupturing the same.

In order to overcome some of the dimculties of the embossing method described above other attempts were made to place riser members or cores between the cover fabric and backing panel and sew the cloth to the panel as close to the riser as possible. This expedient was costly, particularly .where the design was not in perfectly straight lines, and the sewing through the panel board produced a line of weakening which was not desirable.

In the present invention practically all of the dimculties mentioned above have been overcome by utilizing an adhesive material of great strength which preferably is 'thermo-setting. An improved method is provided wherein it is en tirely unnecessary to sew the risers or cores in position and the labor costs are materially reduced. The final product is permanent, waterproof, and flexible so that it may be stretched over and secured to a backing panel adapted for use in the interior trim work on an automobile.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken sectional view showing a strip of fabric in a hot press which cures the thermo-setting material; Fig. 2, a broken perspective view of a strip of material, carrying suitable riser members, before it is applied to the cover fabric; Fig. 3, a broken perspective view of the assembly after a design hasbeen applied to a cover fabric; Figs. 4 and 5, end elevational views of a strip showing modified forms of riser members; and'Fig. 6, an end elevational view of a strip carrying soft riser members and provided with a paper backing strip.

in the embodiment illustrated, A designates a suitable press which may be heated to set the adhesive material; B, a cover fabric adapted to receive a permanent ornamental design: 0, riser members or cores adapted to be secured in welts produced inthe cover fabric in a desired design; and D, a strip of adhesive material which preferably is thermo-setting and is adapted tobecome permanently secured to the coverfabric B by means of a heat and pressure treatment.

In practicing the invention on a production basis preferably a plurality of hotpresses A are arranged in a line to be handled by one operator. In this way the operator can be reloading other presses while the heat treatment is being applied to cure the thermosetting material. Preferably the press A comprises a supporting plate I which is grooved to receive a die plate 8 having a detion is as follows:

sign desired to be produced in the final product. The die and plate I may be heated by a suitable steam box 9. This arrangement permits'dies of various-designs to be placed in the press as desired. Above the dies is an upper presser member III which is provided with suitable hinges and clamping devices, not shown, so that it may be lowered conveniently to compress material to be treated. The upper member is also provided with suitable heating means such as a steam box H.

The cover fabric B may be of any suitable material commonly used in upholstery work and usually has an outer finish face I! and a backing face l3.

The riser members C may be of any suitable fibrous material such as twisted paper, fibrous cords, or the like. The risers ,shown inFigs. 1-3, inclusive, are of twisted kraft paper and have a circular cross-section. The risers l5, shown in Fi 4, may be of cured rubber or the like and are shown having a semi-circular crosssection. The risers l8. shown in Fig. 5, have a somewhat different shape and may be formed of any fibrous flexible material. In Fig. 6 soft risers II are made of cellulose and are enclosed by'a thread-like net I 8 to loosely confine them in a somewhat elliptical shape.

The strip D may be thermoplastic and of resinous, composition, but preferably the material is thermo-setting and is a rubberous material which cures rapidly at comparatively low temperatures. Material of this general character has been used for inner tube patches in automobile tires for many years. A suitable composi- Percent, approximately 50 New rubber Reclaimed rubber 3O Sulphur 3 Accelerator I 1 A suitable pitch or zinc oxide plasticizer may be used. It has been found that this material will bond properly with a fabric and willset after a heat treatment of about two and onethe'pres'si; While in the the-risers have. been showndisposedin straight 7 parallel lines, it will be understood that they may be arranged in anysuitable design. j

'ing and stretching panel, in the 'well known manner.

face and preferably is provided with a paper back- 1 ing strip l9 which may be of thin calendered paper stock. The paper and facilitates its handlingprior t'o vulcaniaation. It has been found that an inch in thickness mounted on a paper strip @400 of' an inch will work satisfactorily, '2

Preferably the risers H are mounted on the tackyface ofthe adhesive strip in a design con v gives strength to the strip.

a rubberstrip 6 or. i

formingto'thatof the die in the press A,,before being-'brou'ght'into contact-"with the fabric in drawing, for convenience,

The method of decoratingthe upholstery fab- 1 ric'is a's'follows: theicover fabric'B is placed over the die head .Bwith the outer face downward; the strip D, carrylng therisers C, is then 1 applied to the fabricvfrom above gently pressthe fabricaround the risers as they press the fabric into the female portion of the die; the upper heated presser plate is then lowered and clamped tightly in position andthe material is held in this position for about two and one-half minutes to permit the sulphur in the rubberousbase to migrateiand vulcanize the strip D to the cover fabric. [-As' the heat is applied the rubber will be molded into the'inter- 'stices between the lower portion-of the risers and the, corner portions of the fabric'so as to form avery tight and permanent" bond which gives the finished design an improved appearance as suitable'backingpanel and the fabric may be stretched tightly without injury If desired an additi'onal'sheet ous material maybe applied over the risers l4 before the strip is brought into contact with the rubber encloses the risers and the ris-: ers' themselves will be vulcanized directly to the fabric. This will providea-thin-iilm of which completely fabric. This expedient, however, is not necessaryto obtain a satisfactory product for most uses.

it is preferred toheat both As indicated above,

of, the press but the upper and lower portions it is possible to operate by merely heating one of the presser-plates, ifsufllcient curing timeis allowed; It will be understood,

presser-plates or heads of the press may be heated by steam electricity, or in any other desired manner. K V p I H 5 While thermoplastic and thermo-'setting adhe-j, sives composed of synthetic resinsmay'be used in certain kinds of work, the finished product is usually brittle and accordingly less desirable.

Also, with adhesives not having a rubber base it is hard to obtain a satisfactory-bond without haying -the adhesive show-through the cover fabric." I

The foregoing 'deta'iled description has been givenfor cle'arness of understanding only, and

the cover fabric and:

of thin rubberj 40 the upstanding ridge portions stand out sharply in relief. When the curing has been completed" 7 the press is opened up' and the cover isready to be attached to a tothe design. Suitable wadding or cotton batting m'ay be applied between no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art. i I

l. The method of producing a decorative design in an upholstery fabric which comprises:

placing the fabric against a die having the de-"' sired design, applying to the fabric a thermo-setting strip of adhesive material carrying preformed riser members disposed in conformity with the die design, and applying suflicient heat and pressure to stretch the fabric over the risers and permanently secure'theexposed; portions of the strip to the back of the fabric adjacent to said risers. 1

2. Themethod of decorating a fabric so as to provide a relief design on the front thereof without substantially reducing its fiexibility, which comprises arranging fibrous risers in' a desired design on a sheet of uncured, soft rubber com:

pound, positioning the assembly of said sh'eet'and risers against the back of said fabric with said risers in contact therewith;'forming said fabric over said risers and into pressure contact with said rubber, and applying heat to said rubber while retaining said pressure contact to vulcanize said'rubber to said fabric. a

3. The method of decorating a fabric so as to provide a relief design on the front thereof with- -out substantially reducing its flexibility, which comprises arranging fibrous risers in a desired design on a sheet of uncured, soft rubber compound, positioning the assembly of said sheet and risers against the back of said fabric with said risers in contact therewith, forming said fabric over said risers and into pressure contact with said rubber,*and applying heat directly to .said rubber while retaining said pressure contact tovulcanize said rubber to said fabric;

4.'The' method of decorating a fabric so as to provide a relief design on the front thereof without substantially reducing its flexibility, which comprises arranging fibrous risers ina desired-design on a sheet of uncured,-soft-rubber com- ,pound, positioning the assembly of said sheet and risers against the back of said fabric with said risers in contact therewith, abutting saidrubber sheet with a smooth hot plate, providing a die conforming to said design, pressing said fabric over said risers with said diein registry with said risers, and maintaining pressure for a period sufficient to cause substantial vulcanization of said rubber and vulcanization of said rubber to said fabric.

' 5. A decorated fabric having a flat strip of soft, flexible cured rubber at its rear surface,and

a a soft flexible riser having no inherent adhesive of course, that the desired design on a flexible sheet of reinforcing characteristics intermediate said fabric and said rubber, said fabric conforming closely to the exposed portions of said riser so as to produce an outstanding formation at the front surface thereof, saidfabric being vulcanized to said rubber strip, portions of the rubber strip tensioning the fabric in conforming relationship over said r ser.

6. The method of decoratinga trimifabricfso a to provide'arelief design onthe front thereof, without substantially [reducing its flexibility,

which comprises arranging a flexible riser in a material, providing aid sheet with an adhesive agent alongside said riser, positioning the assembly against the rear surface of said fabric with the riser abutting said fabric, providing a dieQconover said risers with said die in registry with said forming to said design and a cooperating flat support, forming said fabric over said riser with said die against said support, and pressing said fabric into firm contact with said adhesive agent alongside said riser.

7. The method of decorating a trim fabric so as to provide a relief design on the front thereof without substantially reducing which comprises arranging a flexible riser in a desired design on a flexible sheet of reinforcing material, providing said sheet with a thermosetting adhesive agent alongside said riser. positioning the assembly against the rear surface of said fabric with the riser abutting said fabric,

' providing a hot die conforming to said design,

forming said fabric over said riser with said die. and pressing said fabric into firm contact with said adhesive agent alongside said riser.

8. A permanently, flexible decorated fabric having a flexible sheet of smooth, substantially non-extensible material; permanently flexible risers on said sheet arranged in a desired design; a flexible adhesive material on said sheet adjacent said risers; said fabric being formed over said risers into contact with said adhesive material and permanently bonded thereby to said sheet, whereby said fabric has a raised design therein conforming in detail and in height to the height of said risers.

9. The method of producing a decorative de- 1 sign in an upholstery fabric which comprises: providing a design strip having a thermo-setting adhesive on one surface with preformed risers arranged on said surface in a desired design, interposing the design strip between the fabric to be and fabric.

10. The method of decorating a fabric so as to provide a relief design on the front thereof without substantially reducing its flexibility, which comprises providing a sheet of uncured soft rubber compound, having risers thereon in a desired design against the back of said fabric with said risers in contact therewith, abutting said rubber sheetwith a smooth support, providing a hot die conforming to said design, pressing said fabric its flexibility. I

ber adjacent said risers, portions of said ply of I rubber tensioning said fabric in conforming relationship over said risers whereby said fabric has a raised design therein conforming in detail and in height to the height of said risers.

12. A decorative upholstery fabric comprising: a cover fabric, a plurality of flexible riser members formed of fibrous material disposed in rear of said cover fabric, a flat strip of soft rubber in rear of said riser members, said cover fabric coni forming closely to the exposed portions of said riser members, and being bonded by vulcanization to said strip of rubber, portions of said strip of rubber tensioningsaid cover fabric in conforming relationship over said risers, whereby said risers form raised designs on the face of said cover fabric of a height equal to the height of said risers.

13. A decorative design strip, adapted to be vulcanized to the rear of a cover fabric, comprising: a flat strip of uncured, soft rubber containing a vulcanizing agent to effect rapid cure of said rubber upon application of heat. and a flexible riser of fibrous material secured to the outer face of said strip.

14. A strip as specified in claim 13, including a flexible, reinforcing backing strip permanently secured on the back of said rubber strip.

15. A decorative design strip, adapted to be vulcanized to the rear of a cover fabric, comprising: a flat strip of uncured, soft rubber containing a vulcanizing agent to effect rapid cure of said rubber upon application of heat, and a flexible riser of material having no inherent adhesive characteristics secured to the outer face of said strip. I

16. A strip as specified in claim 15, including a flexible, reinforcing backing strip permanently secured on the back of said rubber strip.

GEORGE R. CUNNINGTON. 

